This invention relates to polymeric materials. Preferred embodiments relate to thermoplastic composites comprising polymeric materials for use, for example, in the composites industry.
There is a wide range of thermoplastic polymeric material available for use in industry, either alone or as part of composite materials. However, industry is constantly demanding materials with properties which are improved in at least some respect over existing materials.
Polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) is a known polymeric material with a relatively low melting temperature (Tm) of 290° C.; however its glass transition temperature (Tg) is 85° C. to 100° C. which is too low for some applications. On the other hand, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has a suitable Tg of 143° C. but its Tm of 343° C. is much higher than desirable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a polymeric material which has a relatively low Tm (comparable to that of PPS) but which has a higher Tg, closer to that of PEEK.